‘Built By Hindus On Their Property’: Texas Activist Faces Netizens’ Ire Over Lord Hanuman Statue

Last Updated:February 18, 2026, 18:45 IST

Carlos Turcios shared a video of the towering statue on X, framing it as a sign of a cultural “invasion” linked to Indian immigration.

A Texas-based conservative activist faced netizens’ backlash after he stirred a row by questioning the 90-foot-tall statue of Lord Hanuman at the Shri Ashtalakshmi Temple in Sugar Land, Texas.

Republican activist from the Dallas–Fort Worth area, identified as Carlos Turcios shared a video of the towering statue on X, framing it as a sign of a cultural “invasion" linked to Indian immigration. He claimed that “third World Aliens are slowly taking over Texas and America" and urged people to “stop the invasion."

“This is not Islamabad, Pakistan, or New Delhi, India. This is Sugar Land, Texas. Third World Aliens are slowly taking over Texas and America. Why is the third-largest statue in the US this??! Stop the INVASION!" he said while sharing the video of the statue on X.

Netizens React

Turcios’ remarks drew swift pushback from Indian-Americans and other social media users, many of whom pointed out that the statue stands on privately owned temple land and was funded by the Hindu community.

“It’s on private property—built by Hindus on land they own and with their own money," one user responded, accusing Turcios of promoting divisive rhetoric.

Another commenter cited US household language data to argue that Indian-Americans are among the most assimilated immigrant groups in the country, noting that Indian languages do not feature among the top ten languages spoken at home.

“There are 41 million households that speak Spanish in the US. Yet there are no Indian languages in the top 10. Since household language is the strongest indicator of assimilation, you have a long way to go before your group is anywhere near the assimilation level of Indian-Americans."

Turcios has previously criticised the H-1B visa programme, claiming that Indian immigrants were “invading" cities such as Frisco in Texas. He is among several conservative figures who have expressed concerns about the visa system, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Meanwhile, there are numerous prominent figures in the Trump administration who follow Hinduism. Former DOGE leader Vivek Ramaswamy, Intelligence bigwig Tulsi Gabbard, FBI director Kash Patel and second lady and US vice president’s wife Usha Vance.

Last year, Republican leader Alexander Duncan faced critisism for his derogatory remarks against Lord Hanuman. He had asked, “Why are we allowing a false statue of a false Hindu God to be here in Texas? We are a CHRISTIAN nation!"

The statue in question is the Statue of Union, a 90-foot bronze statue of Hanuman at the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple, an installation dedicated to symbolising devotion, strength, and unity. There is another statue of Lord Hanuman in Delaware which is 25-ft long and was installed in 2020. That statue was shipped from Telangana’s Warangal.

News viral ‘Built By Hindus On Their Property’: Texas Activist Faces Netizens’ Ire Over Lord Hanuman Statue

Read More